About

$19,477

pledged of $18,000 goal

245

backers

THE STORY

SELF-TAUGHT will follow a number of adult self-directed learners as they go about their lives. We will immerse ourselves in their daily activities to see how they make a living, and how they feel about it. The questions guiding this film will explore how these individuals measure their success, and if they feel their non-traditional education helped or hindered them as adults.

Throughout the film, we’ll also hear from experts with extensive experience in child development, psychology, brain science and education and delve into what it means to be a self-directed learner. We'll examine the differences between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and how that guides our choices through life.

There is an increasing interest worldwide in alternative ways of learning and families everywhere are seeking answers and new learning opportunities that will empower their children. I talked a lot about this in my last film, Class Dismissed, but in the many conversations I've had with audiences, families, and educators everywhere, it’s become clear that the story is not complete, there is still more to say.

The number question that comes up is:

"How do kids who are non-traditionally schooled turn out as adults?

What happens to those kids who didn't go to school or experienced non-traditional educations once they become adults? Are they "successful" in life? Can they get into college if they choose to follow that route? How do they make a living, get jobs or start their own businesses? And how do they define success for themselves?

My last film, Class Dismissed told the inspiring story of one family's journey from school to homeschool and illustrated the freedom and empowerment they experienced in that process.

SELF-TAUGHT takes that story one step further, from childhood into adulthood and examines what it really means to live a self-directed life, where passion and deep interest in learning are the primary motivators.

WHERE WE'VE COME FROM

Six years ago, I set out to make a feature-length documentary that realistically portrayed what learning outside of the traditional classroom looks like. The result of that effort is the film Class Dismissed.
In 2015, after a highly successful independent theater run in the US, we releasedthe filmon DVD and streaming platforms worldwide. Since then, it's has gone on to screen in more than 10 countries receiving wide critical acclaim from homeschoolers all over the world, as well as alternative and even traditional educators. In South Africa, the film was screened by the Department of Education in a special symposium about homeschooling, and the same thing happened in New Zealand with the Ministry of Education. We’ve received hundreds of emails from families all over the world whose lives have been changed by watching the film.

I'd like to keep that ball rolling and I hope you'll join me on this newest adventure by supporting this campaign.

HOW WILL THE MONEY BE USED?

Film-making is a labor intensive and expensive task. Here's a breakdown of our immediate needs and how the money will be used:

PRODUCTION - This includes the purchase and rental of equipment, and any other fees incurred during the course of production.

TRAVEL- A large portion of our production costs relate to travel for interviews with the key people in the film including experts. Costs include flights, accommodations, car rentals and gas for our team.

LICENSING AND RIGHTS USAGE - For the music & any footage used in the film that is archival, and the ability to distribute the final product across all relevant platforms upon its release.

COMPENSATION - We'll need to hire other talented collaborators such as a motion graphic designer, a music composer, and sound mixer so we can bring you the best film possible.

HOW KICKSTARTER WORKS

Kickstarter is all-or-nothing funding so if we don't make it to $18,000 we get absolutely nothing, the film doesn't get made and no one receives the awesome rewards.
We understand that not everyone will be able to make a financial contribution, but please know that every dollar counts towards reaching our goal, and every effort you make to promote the project will help us reach more potential backers, so please promote this project on Facebook, twitter and on your other social media platforms. We're grateful for your support.

CAN WE EXCEED OUR KICKSTARTER GOAL?

Absolutely! If we make more than our $18,000 goal, we'll be able to take the film that much further along in the process...perhaps all the way to the post-production phase, so if you are passionate about the idea of freedom in education, if you were inspired by Class Dismissed, then please consider donating whatever you can to this project. Every donation counts and we have some great perks to share with you.

Thank you so much for your support,
Jeremy Stuart, Director

Risks and challenges

There are always risks and challenges involved in making an independent film with a low budget, delays can happen for all kinds of reasons, but with a solid track record making my last film Class Dismissed and with over 25 years experience in the film industry as a veteran editor, I feel very confident that I, along with a team of other industry pro's can deliver a fantastic film for you.
My last film took 4 and-a-half years to make, but that's largely because we followed one particular family for almost 2 years and didn't know the ultimate outcome of where their journey would take them. This film is very different, it's smaller in scale and doesn't involve waiting on unknown outcomes to resolve themselves. I'm setting am ambitious goal with this new film and plan to have it completed in under 2 years but I learned an incredible amount making Class Dismissed and I'm excited to use that knowledge to bring you another inspiring film.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

Exclusive Access To Bonus Content

Receive a DVD or a digital download of the film, plus get a digital download of our last film Class Dismissed, get your name in the credits and get exclusive access to all the extended interviews with our experts! WOW!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

Become A Corporate Sponsor

You will receive everything at the Super Supporter level plus your logo & business description will be displayed prominently on our official site. You will also receive a special thank you blog post on our site.